The one guitarist Brian May named the “god of guitar”
Queen guitarist Brian May has a unique pathway into the annals of music history. Not only is he the man behind some of the most iconic riffs and solos in the classic rock genre, not only has he written number one songs and travelled the globe as the lead guitarist for a mammoth band, and he has done it all while being tragically uncool.
It’s not an insult. May has rarely allowed himself to be caught up in the ego of what being a lead guitarist meant during Queen’s heyday. While others pursued the limelight and only felt clean when bathed in the spotlight. May preferred to studiously figure out his technique and make Queen one of the most unique-sounding bands around. It is this tendency to swot up that not only afforded him a degree in astrophysics but also allowed him to become a near-perfect player.
May grew up as a music fan during a thrilling time in history, and this allowed him to study the greats of the guitar. He was a teenager amid the 1960s counterculture boom, a time when rock music was taking over the capital, and May had a front-row seat to view the mind-bending revolution, which had a longstanding effect on him.
Although May’s style as a guitarist differs from those he worshipped throughout his youth, they were everything to him as a youngster, and he still cherishes their work today. “When I look back on it, I don’t think I could have been born at a better time,” he told Guitar World of his musical origins. “As kids we were so lucky to have grown up in that period when things were bursting through and all the boundaries were being broken”.
Rather than trying to replicate one singular artist, May revealed he instead attempted to be an amalgamation of Buddy Holly, James Burton, Hank Marvin, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, and The Who’s Pete Townshend.
In the same interview, May glowingly recalled some of his earliest memories, which revolved around listening to these artists with his headphones on while “hidden under the covers” in bed. Little Richard was another stark realisation for the guitarist, who remembered: “When I first heard Little Richard, it was a moment of shock, but there was also the joy of realising that people could actually sing that way.”
However, Townshend is a figure he holds in the highest regard and once likened to a god when it comes to his own instrument. During the formative stage in his life, May was fortunate enough to witness The Who in all their glory at a live show in London, which is a memory that he’ll preciously hold onto until he parts from this world.
The year was 1969, and May, aged 22, had recently formed Queen. Seeing The Who perform was a masterclass in rock ‘n’ roll craftsmanship, and the lesson from Townshend couldn’t have arrived at a more pertinent time for the guitarist.
Speaking to BBC Radio 2, May recalled: “They came from Shepherds Bush. Very much a local phenomenon for us and we used to go and see them. Rog(er Taylor) and me. It was about the most dangerous concert you could ever go to. Because you never knew if they would turn up, to start with.”
He continued: “And when they did turn up it was mayhem let loose. It was just so loud, dangerous and anarchic, I guess. This was long before punk. So I think The Who kind of wrote the recipe for punk, if you like. So they played local to us and we went to see them a lot. We followed them, we loved them. They ripped out the rulebook”.
Meanwhile, in a separate interview with Total Guitar, May explained how Townshend created a blueprint for Queen, noting: “We (Queen) wanted to take people off into the stratosphere. It’s always been that way with us. We were inspired by our heroes to do that, and I put The Who way up top of that list. Pete Townshend is the master of mood change, a master of the suspended chord. I owe so much to him.”
Heaping more praise on the guitarist, May added: “I’d seen feedback. I’d seen Pete Townshend – again, wow! Pete Townshend’s a god of guitar and always will be! I’d seen him stand there and let the guitar explode into life on its own.”
Watch the footage below of Townshend at his best during The Who’s ‘Pinball Wizard’ performance at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970.
